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Show Garn Urges Quick A ction On County Rebate Act Citing the gross-inequities created for counties with large holding of federally owned, tax exempt land, U.S. Senator Jake Garn Friday urged Senate Majority Leader, Mike Mansfield, to schedule, prior to adjournment of the Congress Con-gress next month, consideration considera-tion of the payment-in-lieu of taxes bill. The bill, which has already passed the House of Representatives, would provide pro-vide for the Federal government govern-ment to pay counties for Federal lands which cannot be taxed. "Federal ownership of land has a particularly heavy impact in Utah because more than two-thirds of the State is owned by the government," said Senator Garn. "Some of our counties have in excess of eighty percent of their total land area onwed by the Federal government. Since they can't assess the land and impose taxes on it, it makes it a little more than difficult for them to build roads and bridges, provide sewage treatment treat-ment and otherwise serve the needs of county residents. "Untaxable Federally owned land places an inordinately inordin-ately large burden on taxpayers taxpay-ers who own the remainder of a county's property. Utah is not the only state affected; more than 1000 counties in 48 states are impacted by large holdings of tax exempt federally feder-ally owned lands, If it is necessary for large parcels of land to be retained in federal ownership, it should be the obligation of the government to make certain that the burden of that policy is spread among all the people of the country and not borne solely by those in whose area the lands are located. "The Senate Interior Committee Com-mittee unanimously ordered the payment-in-lieu of taxes bill reported so they obviously recognize its critical nature. It would be tragic if the progress made was lost in the press to adjourn next month. I am therefore urging, as others whose states are heavily impacted by Federally owned land, that the Senate consider and vote on the legislation prior to adjournment." Senator Garn said he is confident that, once the bill is considered, it will be passed and become law. |
